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Are there alligators in s carolina - are there alligators in s carolinaAre there alligators in s carolina - are there alligators in s carolina
- SCDNR - Wildlife Information - SC Alligator
Today, these impoundments support the highest alligator population and nest densities found in the ACE Basin and the state.
Alligator populations gradually decline inland because habitats are seasonally flooded and prey density is reduced. American alligators are cold-blooded animals, but generally are active year round in South Carolina. Breeding season for the American alligator varies throughout its range because the onset coincides with warmer weather. Nest site selection, construction, maintenance, and protection are important activities in the life of a female alligator.
In South Carolina, the majority of nest construction and egg laying takes place during the month of June. Nests are located on high ground, 1 to 5 meters 3 to 18 ft from the water's edge, and consist of a large mound of mud and crushed vegetation. In the ACE Basin, most alligator nests are found in managed impoundments and, to a lesser extent, in remnant impoundments and unaltered marshes. Most nests within impoundments are located on remnant dikes.
Nest material is from surrounding vegetation, which is typically giant cordgrass Spartina cynosuroides and nests are about 1. Once the mound is complete, the female digs a conical chamber in the center of the mound and deposits eggs into the chamber.
Several layers of mud and vegetation are then added and compacted atop the egg chamber. Inside it, the eggs are kept at a constant temperature as a result of heat produced by decomposition of the nesting material.
Sex of alligators is determined by nest temperatures during the middle third of embryo development. Females are produced at temperatures less than Decreasing numbers of males are produced as temperatures approach 35oC, a temperature beyond which only females are produced.
Incubation periods average between 63 and 65 days, but can be as long as 77 days. Hatchling alligators average about 24 cm 10 in in total length and weigh g 1. After hatching, juvenile alligators remain together in a group called a pod or creche, which may remain together for up to three years. Both sexes grow to about cm 4 ft by age 5. After this age, female growth begins to slow, presumably channeling energy towards reproduction, while males continue to grow fairly rapidly.
By age 25, males on average measure cm 10 ft 4 in and females average cm 8 ft 3 in. Males can reach lengths greater than cm 13 ft while females rarely exceed cm 9 ft 6 in. Males and females become sexually active when approximately 2. Alligator food habits vary by size class, with prey size increasing as alligators get larger. Hatchlings initially depend upon a yolk reserve but will begin feeding almost immediately on invertebrates such as insects, crustaceans, and snails and on small fish.
As they grow, larger foods such as snakes, larger insects and frogs become common. Adults feed on aquatic organisms and animals that come to the water's edge to drink. In estuarine habits, the most common adult food item is blue crabs Callinectes sapidus. Alligators are also known to feed on dead animals or carrion. Once alligators reach adulthood, they are top-level carnivores and have no natural predators. Raccoons Procyon lotor , wading birds, and deer Odocoileus virginianus are prey items of the largest animals.
In South Carolina, the harvest of American alligators for both food and leather remained unregulated until the s. In , alligators benefited from a law, originally intended to protect deer, that banned night shooting. By the early s, in an effort to reduce poaching, alligator trappers were required by law to possess a license and tags. However, numbers of American alligators in South Carolina continued to decline, resulting in the closure of the season in Poaching continued even after inclusion of the species in the Endangered Species Protection Act of and the Endangered Species Conservation Act of Finally, in , American alligators were included under the Lacey Act of , which prohibited the transport of illegally collected mammals and birds across state boundaries.
Throughout the s and s, alligators continued to be protected under the Endangered Species Act of and were listed as endangered in coastal areas of South Carolina and threatened elsewhere in the state. In , the U. Fish and Wildlife Service changed its status to one of "threatened upon similarity of appearance. In , the S. This program was established in an effort to alleviate increasing human-alligator encounters due to rapid urban development in coastal areas. After 31 years of closure, the alligator hunting season in South Carolina was re-opened in A permit, issued by the S.
Department of Natural Resources and valid for one year, is required for the marketing and possession of any alligator product. Bara, M. American alligator investigations. Final Study Report. Conant, R. The largest alligator caught in South Carolina weighed 1, pounds, 13 feet 6 inches. Game hunters found the gator in Lake Moultrie, known for housing the biggest gators in the state today.
The American alligator Alligator mississippiensis of the Family Alligatoridae is the only species native to South Carolina. While previously listed as endangered, their populations have rebounded and are currently doing so well. In , the Department of Natural Resources initiated a program to allow contracted trappers to remove aggressive gators aggressive to domesticated animals and humans or invaded recreational areas.
As the population grew, the Department of Natural Resources initiated a hunting season, as plenty of the species existed. While it is safe to swim in swimming pools in South Carolina, avoid swimming in natural waters, especially ones that are known to harbor reptiles. Swimming in these water sources often attracts alligators as they think a prey is injured when you splash.
Protective mothers can also attack instinct as they believe their nests or young ones are in danger. Swimming between dusk and dawn puts you in danger, as the reptiles are active at night. If it is not a designated swimming area, other looming hazards include stumps, steep drop-offs, rocks, and other obstructions. For safe swimming in South California , pay attention to swimming advisory signs warning against alligators before venturing into natural waters. Never swim alone, and be careful when around water; this is not only to give you a fighting chance against alligators but also as a standard safety precaution.
After dolphins, alligators are the most popular wildlife attraction in coastal areas of South Carolina. The state is home to over , predators, which everyone visiting the state wants to see. You can observe the reptiles from a distance or through safer means, like embarking on a guided alligator tour, visiting the South Carolina aquarium, or going for an alligator adventure.
The American alligator females lay up to 60 eggs, which they incubate in the rotting vegetation in the marshes.
The incubation period lasts about 65 days, during which the mothers defend the eggs against predators. American alligators have a typical lifespan of about years; alligators in captivity can live up to 80 years.
Some alligators die when much younger, and once they are about four feet long, they are safe from most predators apart from other alligators and humans. The teeth are also replaced constantly throughout their life; when they wear down, new teeth grow in.
American alligators could go through teeth in their lifetime, as they get replaced if they break or wear down. While alligators thrive in many lakes in South Carolina, Lake Marion is the most infested.
Over alligators are confirmed to live in Lake Marion, and alligators weighing up to pounds are found in the lake. They venture into brackish salt water and move back and forth from freshwater to marine ecosystems to balance the salt levels in their bodies. They protect them fiercely and will attack intruders if they believe they are a threat to their eggs.
All crocodile species have V-shaped snouts that could vary from narrow to broad but maintain the pointed shape. Alligators are smaller, with most 8 to 11 feet long with a weight of to pounds, with the male alligators being larger than their female counterparts.
While the crocodiles are enormous, it is often challenging to tell the two species apart through their size, and it is difficult to eyeball. Alligators live in lakes, low-flowing rivers, ponds, and swamp lands; they prefer living closer to the shore.
They cannot survive in salt water, and the most they can do is move in and out of freshwater and saltwater ecosystems.
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